Variety: 74100, 74112
Process: Washed
BOTZ has a rather personal connection with this coffee from Habtamu Fikadu. We were fortunate to attend its milling just outside of Addis Ababa earlier this year.
We told a friend once that we’ve never felt calmer than when we’re surrounded by bags of parchment in a coffee warehouse (especially in Ethiopia). Maybe it’s how the light sneaks in through the tiny cracks near the windows. Or maybe it’s the quietude as you meander through a maze of coffee sacks. When we’re in these moments, everything seems to stand still (which is hilarious because the warehouses are actually quite hectic).
We feel fortunate to have travelled to Ethiopia for multiple years now. In particular, it’s been amazing to see Habtamu’s mill and space completely transform. From a choppy gravel two years ago to the most electric and smooth lime-green floor with state-of-the-art equipment, it’s evident that Habtamu moves quickly and efficiently (quite similarly to how he expects his coffee to move to port).
We’ll never forget stabbing the initial parchment arrivals for the Danche site (stabbing parchment allows you to collect samples to evaluate the lot collectively). We hastily roasted our samples and were stunned by the zesty peachiness and limeade clarity of the lots. We decided the next day to attend its milling.
While the parchment was being sucked up in mass by the huge milling equipment, the milling manager showed us initial samples of the lot. The beans looked rather stunning with the most perfect blueish/grey tone. We couldn’t help but notice that there were some rather tiny, cute beans in the lot. “Habtamu recommends keeping the 13-screen size beans.” In milling, the details matter. While some would have screened such beans out, the smaller beans that contribute to the Danche lot make it truly special, giving it dense peachy, minty, and zesty dimensions! It’s a full-circle moment to roast it.
***Please note - fulfillment will take place from [10/21-10/26]. Beans will ship on [10/27-10/28] (with our hope of shipping earlier if we can)!***